Improvement in tobacco-cutting machines



L. BAUER 8v J. SBI1'Z-] Tobacco-Cutting Machine.

No. 212,347. Pa'fen'ted-l Feb. 18,1879.

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VII

UNITED STATE-S .PATENT OFFICE` LOUIS BAUER AND JOHN Snrrz, or SAN IFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOBACCO-CUTTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,347., dated February 18, 1879; application filed August 16, 1878.

To all whom it mag/concern Be it known that we, LOUIS BAUER. and JOHN SEITZ, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Cutting-Machines, principally adapted to the cutting of tobacco, which invention is fully set forth in the following specication and.

the accompanying drawings.

The nature'of our invention consists in the improved construction of an automatic pressure blockor follower7 for holding and pressing the substances to be cut and presenting themy in the path of the cutters.

The object of our invention is to produce an improved rotary cutting-machine capable of adjustment to make cuttings of any required ineness, and in which the substances are held and pressed up automatically against the cutting-disk.

In the drawings herein referred to, Figure l is a front elevation of our machine as constructed to produce fine-cut tobacco 5 a portion of one side of the trough is broken away to Show the presser-block. Fig. 2 is an elevation taken from the right-hand end of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view of the face of the cutting-disk. Fig. 4 is a view of the back of the disk. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through the line a: Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the presser-block, and a portion of the bed of the machine, and the side of the box or Jirough, it being a section through the line yy,

The cutting-disk A has two fixed cuttingblades, B B', secured upon its face by the screws b b, on a radial line, and eXtendin g from `the axis to the circumference. One edge of each blade is a cutting-edge, and in front of it is placed an adjustable plate, C C', that formsthe remaining surface of the disk. The edge of this plate is situated just beneath the cutting-edge of its blade, and, by means of thumb-screws c c cl d, it is set up and held at the required distance from the cuttin g-ed ge, so that a greater or less space is left between the cutting-edge and this plate C. By this means the surface of the disk is regulated or adjusted to produce a coarser or finer out, as the more the face of the plates G is depressed below the face of the cutters the coarser will be the cuttings.

More than twoof these Cutting-blades can be iiXed upon the disk, if desired, by placing them on radial lines7 and providing each one with an adjustable plate, C, in front of each cutting-edge, to regulate the degree of tineness of the cut, as before described.

The cutting-disk A is fixed on the shaft a, and is rotated either by hand or by power. It works at the end of the table or bed -plate D, and immediately against a Xed plate or ed ge, E, so placed that the cutting-blades work in close contact with it, and act with a shearing action upon the substance being held against the face of the disk.

The table or bed-plate D has secured upon it, in proper position with respect to the movements ofthe cutters, two racks, F F, which inclose between them a space, forming a box, trough, or holder, with Open ends, for the reception of the substancesto be cut, and between these two racks is placed a block or follower, Gr. rlhis block moves between the sides of this holder and in guiding-slots to keep it in a true and perpendicular position, and the required degree of pressure is given by it through the action of the coil-spring II. This sprin g is lixed at one end to a Shaft, f, heldin bearings g g upon the follower G, and at the other end to the follower itself, so that the tendency of the spring to uncoil itself causes the shaft to turn, and, by means of the pinions I I upon the shaft working in the racks F F, the follower G is caused to move up within the trough or holder and toward the face of the disk whenever the follower is released and left free to move.

A stop, h, upon the table or bed-plate, and a Spring-catch, i, secured to the Side of the block or follower, serve to hold it back at the rear end of the trough whenever it is desired to use the machine without the presser, as in cutting leaf-tobacco, or in filling up the trough with any substance to be cut and to be fed up by hand. A handle', J, is provided on the follower for drawing it back when the contents of the trough have been acted upon by the cutter-blades.

From this description and the accompanyng drawings it will be seen that as the spring H uncoils it gives motion to the shaft and pinions I I, and causes the follower to move forward toward the front of the machine and press Jthe substance, within the trough with a strong pressure and automatic movement up against the cutting-surface of the disk.

It will also be evident that the'cutting-disk is readily adjusted to produce cuttings or shreds of diiierent degrees of flneness, and that this adjustability is always under control of the operator while the machine is working.

Y As thus constructed our machine is adapted not only for making fine-cut tobacco, but also for cutting vegetables for pickles and sauerkraut and other like purposes where any substance is to be finely divided.

- Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'Ihe presser-block or follower G, having a shaft, f, with pinions I on each end, and a coilspring, H, one end of which is fastened to the shaft and the other end to the block or follower itself, in combination with the racks F F, substantially as herein set forth, for the purposes specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 13th day of July, 1878.

LOUIS BAUER. JOHN SEITZ. 

